Roast chicken gets a boost from pepper jam glaze

OK, let’s get the shame out of the way first.

I am three weeks behind on my Dark Days eat-local challenge cooking and blogging because I hosted my family for the New Year’s holiday and my little boy came dow

n with stomach flu and … and … let’s just say chaos ensued and ensued and ensued.

Now, however, I am back on track and I’m slowly catching up on the writing and the cooking, too, and it is wonderful.

Let’s jump right into my Week 3 meal, which I’ll ironically call U-Kill Roast Chicken with Pepper Jam.

U-kill is simply how my carnivorous husband likes to refer to the birds I acquired during a chicken-butchering day on a friend’s Snohomish County hobby farm last May.

No, I did not actually kill. But, I helped process the birds, by gutting them, still warm. I also took off feathers, feet and necks. Then I took home four birds and put them in the freezer for this exact challenge.

In this recipe, there are only two words you really need to remember: Pepper jam.

I had never thought of using pepper jam until I grabbed a jar of hot roasted garlic pepper jelly at Pike Place Market a few weeks ago in a desperate search for local Dark Days ingredients.

It’s from Yakima-based Mick’s Peppourri makers of the “finest pepper jellies in the world.”

The girl at the counter said it was made with local ingredients. Presumably at least the peppers were Eastern Washington, but I didn’t inquire further. (For the record, I’m defining anything grown in Washington as local for this challenge.)

She also said a little goes a long way, so I slathered on only about 1 tablespoon of the stuff, covering the roast chicken’s skin about 5 minutes before it was ready to come out of the oven.

Oh, my!

Not only did it give the chicken a positively gorgeous, shiny glazed look, it was delicious.

I served a little of the jam, which was not overly hot, on the side and it was just delectable.

I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

My husband said it was my best chicken yet. I roast a lot of chickens when I actually get around to cooking, which is not often.

But still … if you’re looking for a way to spice up — and pretty up — your roasted meats, I recommend the Mick’s. I reckon it would be brilliant on pork tenderloin. I aim to try that, too.

I served my chicken with roasted carrots and parsnips harvested from my backyard in Edmonds.

It was all quite a grand affair for a weeknight at my house and definitely a keeper of a glazing trick.

Special thanks go to Laure McCrae, who allowed me to enjoy the tasty, poultry-oriented fruits of her hobby farm (and for putting on this entire challenge).

These Dark Days aren’t so bad.

RECIPE REVISION: In the recipe below, I adjusted the time and temperature from my original post because one of my editors said the baking time did not seem long enough to cook the chicken thoroughly. Also, I neglected to mention that I used a convection oven for my bird, which can speed up cooking. In the end, no matter what roasting method you use, you should always check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken thigh (avoid putting it next to bone). Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees, according to the USDA.

Here’s the USDA’s guide to roasting chicken (scroll down).
Here’s another USDA page that shows exactly where to insert meat thermometers for accurate readings.

Roast chicken with pepper jam
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 8 to 10 chunks (Pasco, Wash., Costco)
2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (Edmonds backyard)
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (Edmonds backyard)
Olive oil
1 4- to 5-pound roast chicken (Snohomish County, Wash.)
4 tablespoons butter, softened (Golden Glen Creamery, Bow, Wash.) (NOTE: Golden Glen is stopping milk sales, but will continue with butter and cream.)
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
4 tablespoons hot roasted garlic pepper jelly (Yakima, Wash.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place onion, carrots and parsnips in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss again.

Pat chicken dry inside and out with paper towels and rub all over with butter.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 1 hour, 15 minutes or until the internal temperature when measured with an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees. If you’re using a convection oven or your oven’s convection-bake or convection-roast settings, your chicken maybe be done faster, after about 1 hour.

Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of jam on the skin of the chicken and bake for another five minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Serve the remaining jelly as a dipping sauce on the side of the chicken and vegetables.

Serves 2 to 4 people and provides leftover vegetables.